Check out this story from Reuters:
A long-awaited report into the sponsorship scandal will have a big impact at the next federal election and unfavorable revelations could bring down the Liberals, according to a poll released on Monday.
Judge John Gomery, who has been probing how C$100 million from a federal sponsorship fund was funneled to Liberal-friendly firms, will release an initial report at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
A poll by SES Research showed that fully 19 percent of Canadians would wait for Gomery's conclusions before deciding how they would vote.
"The November 1 Gomery Report and the reaction to it will be a critical factor in the outcome of the next election," SES said in a commentary.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has promised to call an election within 30 days of Gomery's second and final report, due on February 1 next year.
Looking at committed voters only, SES said public backing for the Liberals was at 40 percent compared to 28 percent for the Conservatives.
The New Democrats, who are keeping the Liberals in power, were at 15 percent.
"There's room for us. (This) demonstrates the government is still vulnerable, and rightly so, on what happened in the sponsorship scandal," said John Williams, a Conservative MP.
Or to quote SES directly,
Question: Based on what you have heard about theadvertising/sponsorship scandal up until today which of the followingstatements best reflects your voting behavior in your riding for theupcoming federal election? (Rotate Options)
a. I have already made up my mind and the advertising/sponsorshipscandal will not change my vote.
b. I will change my vote to support the Liberal candidate because ofhow the advertising/sponsorship scandal was handled.
c. I will change my vote to support the Conservative candidatebecause of the advertising/sponsorship scandal.
d. I will change my vote to support the NDP candidate because of theadvertising/sponsorship scandal.
e.(Quebec only) I will change my vote to support the Bloc Quebecois candidate because of the advertising/sponsorship scandal.
No change in vote - 51%
Unsure - 19% (26% in Quebec)
Change - vote Conservative - 9%
Change - vote NDP - 9%
Change - vote Liberal - 7%
Change - vote Bloc - 4% (19% in Quebec)
You can't blame the Conservatives for seeing the 19% as good news but I wonder if it true is. The question in my mind is "what are they waiting for?". It could just as easily be a reason to vote Liberal because if you aren't already convinced that they don't deserve your vote I wonder what the Gomery Report will do to change that.
